


Turn Back Time

by Piff



Series: Bye Bye Birdy [25]
Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Gen, Ice Cream is the best when you're sick, Jack is a thief, Nests are cozy, The Couch is an awesome Couch, Trees do not make good beds, the wall - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-21
Updated: 2014-03-29
Packaged: 2018-01-16 11:13:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1345390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piff/pseuds/Piff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How did Jack come about to live with Pitch? Let's find out!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“You sleep in a tree.”

Jack looked up at the thick, twisting branches of his favorite roost and chirped _Home!_

“You sleep in a tree.”

Where else did Tall, Dark, and Gloomy expect him to sleep? Under a porch? Rolling his eyes, Jack jammed his staff under one arm and climbed the tree. It was not a very tall tree but the branches were thick and curly and didn’t even notice Jack’s slight weight and in the middle was a bowl-like area to sit, or in Jack’s case, curl up in a tiny ball and sleep when the sun went down.

_Home! Sleep! Happy!_

“Stop that!"

Jack grinned down at the Bogeyman, and chittered at him again because the look on his face was just hilarious.

Not that he understood why the guy was so upset; it was a perfectly nice tree. Most trees Jack would fall right out of when he fell asleep, and that was unpleasant.

“This is ridiculous!”

Jack tilted his head to the side a bit, letting his eyes roll again to show off his exasperation.

“It’s a TREE!”

_MY Tree! MY nest!_

“ENOUGH WITH THAT INFERNAL CHIRPING!”

Jack settled into a sulk, balanced with his toes digging into the gnarled bark of the tree branch.

 

\-------------------------------------------

 

The boy was sleeping in a tree. A TREE. He was sleeping and living in a tree and Pitch was just not able to wrap his mind around this.

It was a TREE.

If Pitch tried to be logical, it made sense with how the boy was obsessed with his chirps and whistles and flighty reactions. The mad creature thought he was a bird and birds slept in trees and why was Pitch so upset?

Pitch was NOT upset, he was… not-upset. He didn’t care enough about the boy to be upset.

That the young spirit was sleeping in a tree.

Pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes, Pitch growled.

“Frost!”

_Me!_

“Get out of the tree. You’re coming with me.”

_Tiiiiiiired._

Amazing how much of a whine a whistle could hold.

“Yes, but you’re trying to sleep in a tree. Get down from there; there are much more appropriate places.”

_MY tree._

“I don’t care. Don’t make me come up there and drag you down.”

No, Pitch was NOT translating Jack’s whistles without even needing to think about it. He did not speak Bird.

 

\-----------------------------------------

 

Jack sulked the way whole way back to Pitch’s underground lair. Where moles and spiders lived, no self-respecting bird would decide to live in a dark hole underground!

When something dark swung over Jack’s head he squawked _DANGER!_ And only the firm grip on the back of his brown cloak kept Jack’s feet on the floor.

“Hush, it’s only a cage.”

Peering back over his shoulder as Pitch hauled him off, there was a lot more than –a- cage up there. Many cages! This place was HUGE!

He could not wait to explore.

Just… after he had a nap. And what a nice nap it was going to be because he knew where they were heading and he LOVED that room! (Sure, the only room he’d been allowed to see so far, but it was a very, very nice room.)

Jack happily face-planted himself into the soft, squashy cushions of the couch, sending Pitch a distracted hand wave and muttered _sleeeeeeep_.

He’d fallen asleep here a couple times before, and it was -so- nice.

A soft snort over his head and something light settled over Jack’s body. But he was too tired to even chirp and just let himself fade out.

He adored his tree, but the couch was soooooo comfy.

 

\-----------------------------------------

 

Pitch glared down at his new house guest.

Trees. Honestly. Had the boy been raised in a barn?

Pitch didn’t know what he’d expected, and uneasily thought he should have asked before now, but…

Pitch threw his hands up in the air and stomped off before he started arguing with himself and woke the little birdbrain.

Perhaps he should be more worried that he argued with himself, and loudly, than worried about waking his guest. Student. Jack.

He'd think about that later.

Right now the sprite was asleep and NOT in a tree and Pitch had things to do that were not babysitting a winter sprite who had caused a few too many blizzards. He'd deal with the housing issue when he got back.

If Jack wanted to stay in the catacombs for a little while, there were going to be some rules. Like not making a mess. And no bringing back strange spirits. 

Not that Jack knew any.

...that would follow him home.

...with good intentions...

-No bringing back strange spirits.-


	2. Chapter 2

It was very… Jack.

Not that Pitch approved. Nor had he realized just how much -stuff- Jack had managed to collect over the last few months.

And yes, it had taken Pitch months to notice that things around the lair were missing, and to see a pattern in the mysterious vanishings, but Jack had managed to use what little brains he had to be clever about his theft. 

Clever enough that Pitch was now trying to figure out how to get back his favorite robe when it was being sprawled upon by the sprite. It, along with cushions and blankets and clothes that Pitch was trying to coax him into wearing, had been heaped into one large mound and nestled in the very center was Jack.

Soft plush toys stood like weary soldiers around the base of the… nest… and they all looked faintly familiar to Pitch. Creepy button eyes and all. When you spent a lot of time lurking under beds, bringing the occasional toy home happened far more than you’d think.

Pitch tapped an aggravated foot against the ground.

Easiest way would be to wake Jack and demand the return of his things, didn’t Jack remember that he wasn’t supposed to enter Pitch’s bedroom?, but the boy looked so tired. Worn out by an exceptionally active blizzard.

It would be cruel to wake him for a scolding when the poor sprite would be too groggy to understand why he was in trouble.

Pitch was rather surprised by the room Jack had picked out; he could spread his arms and touch both walls. His hair grazed against the ceiling. With the large cushy nest filling up most of the space, Pitch figured Jack must really like small and cozy for sleeping.

Very small. 

Alright, obviously he had decided not to wake Jack from his nap just yet so he might as well leave. Blasted brat. Pitch wouldn’t have thought to do otherwise until Jack had weaseled his way into Pitch’s affections; Pitch was NOT a kind man!

Well…

He was arguing with himself again, that really needed to be taken care of. Resigned to his task as a caretaker, Pitch stooped over the nest and nestling to draw up the kicked-loose blanket back around Jack’s body. There was a sleepy complaint of a chirp, just the sort of sound you’d hear from a disturbed chick, but Jack didn’t wake.

Pitch knew it was a bad sign that he even had the idea of joining Jack in the nest for a nap himself, it did look awfully comfortable, and had to make a hasty retreat before he actually considered it seriously.

He had not gone THAT soft!


	3. Chapter 3

“I was expecting something a lot more…”

Jack looked back over his shoulder and grinned at her, blowing hair off his nose.

“More…?”

“Messy.”

Jack just giggled, beckoning Tooth further in. “It’s the sick-room, for when I don’t feel good. All the cold feels really good when I’m injured.”

“Still- oh! Wow! That’s quite a collection you have Jack!” Tooth, no longer squinting under the brilliant white-ness of Jack’s ice room, was now examining The Wall.

Yes, ‘The Wall’. Make sure you say it right!

Jack loved The Wall.

It was covered in pretty white shelves to display each and every one of his beloved ponies in all their glorious (if toxic) color variations.

“Isn’t it beautiful? I keep them in here cause they show up so well against the white. And ice makes a good display case against the wind cause I can make it really, really clear. And as long as I don’t actually touch some of them, the cold isn’t bad either.”

“What happens if you touch them?” Tooth had to admit it truly was glorious. All the ponies were arranged by color like a rainbow and then by size. HUNDREDS of ponies!

“Well the rubber ponies get a little brittle and can shatter. So I leave them alone. But the painted wood or metal ones are just fine!”

Jack loved The Wall and his collection. He flopped down on the rounded pile of snow in the center of the room, curling his arms under his chin.

He might have licked the edge of the smooth, white nest.

“Are all of these from North?”

“Nah. I tried to make a couple myself, you can tell which ones, and some I found. And some are from Hollow; see the orange pumpkin pony and the witch? And some are from the Swan’s; Jill made the one braided from grass! And some are-“

Tooth yelped as one sparkly black pony she’d been eyeing very closely inside the ice-case, suddenly snarled at her and lunged at the barrier.

“…some are actually Nightmares who got in trouble.”

“How…”

“Don’t ask.”

“…right. Awwww, is that the one the girls made for you?”

“The pretty feathery one? Yeah! Sorry if they filched some of your feathers without permission, she didn’t actually say if she was allowed to or not. But it’s so pretty I bet you’ll forgive her very fast.”

Tooth had to laugh at the cheekiness.

“After rescuing them from that creepy sneak of an owl, I am willing to forgive and forget. And then ask to have one made for me. It’s like a tiny peacock with hooves.”

“Since I can’t get into the Warren anymore, TwinkeToes has faded back to her usually ink-blot self. Think you could coax a little glitter out of the rabbit?”

“I think you should ask Bunny yourself, after you know… apologize?” She grinned as Jack scowled up at her.

“He’s MEAN.”

“And you’re a brat, what’s the problem?”

“It’s because he’s mean that I’m a brat!”

“Please, you’ve always been a brat, and very proud of it.”

“…I’m not inviting you inside anymore.”

Tooth floated over, feet curled up away from the ground because brrrrr it was cold in here and patted Jack’s head. “Awww, don’t be like that Jack. What if I promised to put a good word in his ear?”

Jack continued to scowl, now actively gnawing on the side of the nest.

“I’m sure that’s not good for the furniture.”

“It’s made to be eaten, it’s ice cream.”

“……...”

**Author's Note:**

> I'll have a surprise for you all on sunday evening! (Monday morning for some of you) I'm going on a trip monday morning and won't be back for a week and half, not clear on how much internet connection I'll have but since I'm going to IRELAND I'm willing to ditch the laptop for the sights :D
> 
> So all in all, don't expect many updates for about two weeks, cause I'm chasing leprechauns and admiring castles :D


End file.
